Welcome Sweetos: the Sugary Version of Cheetos

Since the brand’s introduction in 1948, Cheetos has always staked its identity on being cheesy—the word “cheese” is half the name! And up until 1998, that name even included a hyphen, spelled as “Chee-tos.” Hell, the cheetah repeatedly told us, “It ain’t easy bein’ cheesy!”

Well, cheese is no longer the brand’s priority. Cheetos has decided they need to expand their brand portfolio into sweet snacks. The result: You’ll soon be able to find “Sweetos”—a “cinnamon sugar puff snack”—on store shelves. According to USA Today, it’s “the first sweet snack that Cheetos has cranked out in the brand's 67-year history.”

The move comes as brands seek to please millennials, whom marketers believe have an affinity for unique offerings from familiar brands. Need evidence? Look no further than two days ago, when we reported on the Red Velvet Oreo's forthcoming release.

Sweetos will not be that trademark neon-orange color of Cheetos and are being marketed as a “limited-time” item. Though if that’s true, Jeff Klein, vice president of brand marketing for Frito-Lay North America, seemed to hint more craziness could be on the way. "This is not a short-term strategy," Klein was quoted as saying. “We are looking for growth outside of the cheese-puff segment.”